By Kevin Williamson and Kristin Bush
For some students, scheduling co-op can be a job in itself.
Northeastern University is the premier co-operative education school in the country. A majority of students attending NU were attracted to the option of getting hands-on work experience, but for student athletes, co-op has to be scheduled around games and practices as well as study halls and other team functions.
“The most common problem is finding a co-op with a flexible schedule that would still allow athletes to attend practices and competitions without being disruptive to the employer,” Associate Athletic Director Tricia Turley said.
Even if locating such flexibility may pose a challenge, Turley said it’s an objective that’s still possible. Athletes whose games are during the fall have the opportunity to co-op in the spring. For volleyball player Lindsay Feller, spring was the time to experience co-op.
“We’re not allowed to go on co-op while we’re in-season, mainly because we practice during the day, but also because we go away a lot of weekends,” the junior communications major said. “We really can’t miss a day of work because co-op jobs are pretty strict about that.”
Last spring, Feller worked at CSN Stores, an online marketing and retailing firm located in the Prudential Center. She said the company was sympathetic to the possibility of inevitable circumstances.
“They knew I played volleyball coming into it, and they told me that if I needed to do anything within reason it would be OK,” Feller said.
The most difficult season to accommodate are those of the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Those seasons start in November and do not end until March, overlapping both semesters, leaving the athletes with little time to have a job.
“The only compromise we have for these athletes is a summer co-op that is only four months as opposed to the normal six,” said men’s basketball coach Ron Everhart.
Bobby Kelly of the men’s basketball team knew entering his freshman year co-op was less of an option for a basketball player.
“I knew I wouldn’t really have time for co-op with our season,” Kelly said. “But I am a criminal justice major and it is a really strong program here. I had a job during the summer that wasn’t co-op related, but it still looks good on a resume.”
Everhart stressed that while many of his players choose not to participate in co-op, they make every effort to accommodate those who do.
“A career could end tomorrow ,but Northeastern offers the opportunity to have both a transcript and a resume at graduation so we do encourage everyone to participate,” he said.
Besides seasonal change, Turley said certain programs within the university may be more conflicting than others when it comes to pursing a co-op position.
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